On the 13th June we were delighted to partner up with The Rona Sailing Trust and West Cornwall Youth Trust again to offer our students the opportunity to spend six nights on the sail training yachts ‘Donald Searle’ and ‘Rona II’. The students experienced a sailing adventure they will never forget!

Student Gemma told us about the trip, “None of us had sailed before and had no idea what to expect. We had no idea that this trip would soon become one of the most inspirational and identity shaping weeks of our lives to date! Upon arrival in Southampton we were split into two groups and given the name of the sailing vessel that we would be calling home for the next six nights. Once fitted with our life jackets we were introduced to our skippers before being escorted onto the pontoon and our yachts. Everyone was so welcoming and instantly made us feel at ease. Once aboard we were split into two groups again, port and starboard watches. This was a pivotal aspect of the trip for me personally as we were pushed out of our comfort zones and grouped with people that we may not necessarily have been close friends with. Thanks to this trip we have all formed bonds that will be difficult to break.”

The students learnt all aspects of sailing from navigation, graph reading, night sailing, knot tying and sail flaking, the trip was certainly jam-packed! They developed their seamanship skills and built on their confidence and by the end of the week the students were fluent with the language and skills needed to independently sail a 70 foot yacht.

Gemma added, “Our yacht sailed all the way to Penzance harbour where we stayed the night!. It was a 28 hour journey and meant that in total we sailed 503 miles and it was such a great experience!” This was a record breaking sail, the record of which had stood since 2001! “This was a once in a lifetime trip and it was more about just igniting a passion for sailing. We have become the closest of friends due to this amazing experience. We all started with no knowledge of sailing and knowing nothing about each other and have finished with new skills, new interests and a new outlook on our lives. This is certainly a trip that none of us will ever forget.”

 

All students involved were truly incredible ambassadors for the school, well done to all involved. A huge thank you to Rona Sailing Trust for offering our students this opportunity.